# Change "category description / about topic" post
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [February 11, 2022, 4:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896 "2022-02-11T16:42:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@suteroun](https://meta.discourse.org/u/suteroun)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2022, 4:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/1 "2022-02-11T16:42:45Z")
Is it possible to change the post Discourse uses for the category description? Someone long ago accidentally used this post as a normal post which now shows up as the description text.
I could not find any property that marks this post as category description.
The only other solution, it seems to me, would be to create a new category, move all the topics there, and delete the old category.
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### Author:  [@IAmGav](https://meta.discourse.org/u/IAmGav)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/2 "2022-02-11T16:47:52Z")
Go edit the category and then click Edit Description
also unlist the post so that only admins can find it
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### Author:  [@suteroun](https://meta.discourse.org/u/suteroun)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/3 "2022-02-11T17:00:04Z")
However, I don’t want the content of the post to be lost. So simple editing is not a solution for me.
Rather I need a completely new Description Post.
EDIT:
Creating a new category would not be a solution either, as the post cannot be moved to another category.
Is then the only solution to copy the post manually and lose likes and much of the meta data?
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2022, 6:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/4 "2022-02-11T18:06:42Z")
So did someone edit the first post in the about topic and then other people started replying? That’s weird thing to do but things happen! I’d create a new topic and copy the OP text into it and then save it and change ownership to the relevant user. Then move all the replies into it. You’d lose the likes etc on the OP but not for the rest.
Then go back to the about topic and clean it up by deleting all the mentions of posts being moved, edit the text of the OP as you see fit and then close it so nobody tries to reply to it.
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### Author:  [@suteroun](https://meta.discourse.org/u/suteroun)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/5 "2022-02-11T18:22:26Z")
I was afraid of that. Thank you for the confirmation.
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/6 "2022-02-11T18:41:12Z")
Is it possible to swop the associated topic through the rails console?
* * *
I’ve had a test, and it is possible. You can update the `categories.topic_id` with a new one, and then move the original ‘About’ topic around like a normal topic.
My new question is, is it advisable? 🙂
**Edit:** My test site has gone a bit hinky, so I’ll remove the details in case this is the culprit. The adventure continues. 🙂
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/7 "2022-02-12T13:43:44Z")
> [@JammyDodger](#):
>
> My new question is, is it advisable?
I don’t think it will hurt anything. I’m not sure how or when the contents get copied to the description field? Maybe just edit the category.
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2022, 2:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/8 "2022-02-12T14:16:01Z")
It keeps the original category description until you Edit Description with the new substitute topic in place (I’ve just double-checked, to make sure 🙂).
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2022, 2:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/9 "2022-03-14T14:16:57Z")
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2022, 4:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/10 "2022-06-13T16:50:34Z")
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### Author:  [@JamesDb](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JamesDb)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/11 "2022-06-13T16:53:58Z")
> [@tobiaseigen](#):
>
> I’d create a new topic and copy the OP text into it and then save it and change ownership to the relevant user. Then move all the replies into it.
Hi Tobias, can you tell me how to move replies from one topic to another? Thanks
Also, do you still believe this is the best solution here?
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### Author:  [@tobiaseigen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tobiaseigen)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/12 "2022-06-13T17:41:55Z")
Hi James, and welcome. 👋
Admins and moderators can move replies from one topic to another using the topic admin wrench, which you can find to the right when reading a topic, above the slider. The topic admin wrench is also on the topic menu near the bottom, after the last post. Select that and then select “Select posts…”. You’ll then be able to select the posts you want to move and then use the “move to” button that appears to move them.
> [@JamesDb](#):
>
> Also, do you still believe this is the best solution here?
Yep, I do!
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/change-category-description-about-topic-post/217896/13 "2024-06-08T12:36:52Z")
This topic was automatically closed after 847 days. New replies are no longer allowed.